Half to joseph aylsworth



(No Model.)

M. A. LANAGAN. SAEETY ATTACHMENT EOE 01E WELLS AND TANKS.

No. 267,903. y Patented Nov. 21. 14882.

UNITED STATES PATENT OEEICE.

MIKE A. LANAGAN, OFIKNAPPS GREEK, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR OF ONE- I-IALF'TO JOSEPH AYLSWORTH, OF SAME PLAGE.

SAFETY ATTACH M ENT FOR `O I L WELLS AN D TANKS.

SPECIFICATION" forming part of lLettere?. lfatent No. 267,903, dated November 21, 1.882.

Application filed August 25, 1882. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, MIKE A. LANAGAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Knapps Greek, in the countyof Cattaraugus and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Safety Attachments for Oil Wells and Tanks; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will venable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to letters or igures of reference marked thereon, which form part ot' this specification.

` The primary object of my invention is to overcome the chief obstacle encountered in eX- tinguishing oil-Well fires. It is a well-known fact that it' the iiow of oil and gas from the well can be quickly stopped or diverted so Vthat 7 the dames cannot reach the same it is a comparatively easy matter to arrest their progress. In consequence of the intense heat surrounding the burning well, it is also necessary to provide an apparatus which can be easily and expeditiously handled at a safe distance from the Well.,` i

To these ends myinvention consists broadly of a novel construction andw arrangement of apparatus located at the mouth of the well, which,wheu not in use, will not interfere with the boring `of the well or the flowing of oil therefrom, but which, when occasion requires, can be instantlyoperated from asafe distance to divert the flow of oil and gas from contact with the dames.

I will now proceed to describe the most desirable form of apparatus which I have at this time devised to carry out my invention, it being understood that it is susceptible of considerable variation without departing from the spirit of my invention.

ln the drawings, Figure l is a central vertical section of my improved apparatus applied to the mouth. of a well. Fig. 2 is a perspective View of the apparatus with the top cover removed. Fig. 3 is a bottom plan view of the sliding valve removed from the box in which it slides. Fig. 4 is a vertical section of Fig. 3 taken in the line ab w, and Fig. 5 is a like section of Fig. 3 taken in the line y y.

Referring to the drawings, ais 'the tubing' of the oil-well.

b is the rectangular casing or box, preferably of cast metal, which forms' a part of my improved safety attachment, andin which the valve is moved in the operation of the device. The bottom of this casing is provided with the screw-threaded orifice b', for the reception ot' the end ofthe tubing c of the well. The casing is also provided with side orifices for the reception ot' the pipesV c c. The flanges d are formed upon the upper edges of the casing, so that the cover c can be attached thereto in a secure manner by screw-bolts or otherwise. This cover e, preferably of cast metal, has a central screw-threaded orifice, e', into which a continuation, f, of the tubing of the well can be inserted and secured. The cover c is also provided with perforated depending lugs f', through which the pipes c c pass into the sides of the casing or cover.

g is the valve, preferably of cast metal,which, like the casing, is rectangular in shape, and is adapted to slide easily but snugly in the casing.

g is an orifice which passes entirely through one end of the valve in a vertical direction. It is of the same bore as the tubing c and fof the well, and forms, when the valve is in its normal position, as shown in Fig. l, a continuation of such tubing.

q2 g2 are auxiliary orices through the sides of the valve, which open into the main orilce g, and which, when the valve is in the position shown in Fig. l, register with `the pipes c c, and the owing oil is discharged through these pipes c c and the pipe f. It is a vertical recess in the other end of the valve, which extends from the bottom of such valve nearly to the top thereof, and is of a diameter equal to that ofthe tubing c of the well.

h h are side orifices, similar to the orifices Upon the upper wall of the recess It is formed the wedge-shaped projection k, as clearly shown in section in Fig. 4, (a bottom view of which is shown-in Fig.3 in the recess h.) This wedgeshaped 'projection is designed to break the force of the oil and gas against the upper wall of the recess h, and also divide the stream to facili- 5 tate its discharge through the orifices h h.

Zis a rod, by means of which the valve g is moved back and forth in its casing. It passes loosely through the end of the casing, and is screwed into the end of the valve. This rod may be of anylength consistent with safe handling in case of tire.

m m are air-holes to facilitate the workin g of the valve.

to w are timbers or supports upon which the apparatus rests, and which serve to hold it securely in place.

The operation of my device is as follows: When the well is iiowing or is being bored the valve is in the position shown in Fig. 1. In that position the oil and gas are free to flow up through the orifice g into the tubing f, and through the side orifices g2 g? into the pipes c c, from whence they are conducted to the points desired. Should the discharging oil and gas take lire, the valve gcan be instantly and safely shifted tothe 'position' shown in Fig. 2. The recess h will then register with the tubing a of the well and the side orifices h h with the pipes c c. The closed recess will then prevent the rise of oil and gas above the valve, and will direct the entire discharge of the same through the side pipes, 0 c. It will thus be 'seen that all contact of the oil and gas with the surrounding tire will be prevented, and the extinguishing of the flames will thus become a comparatively easy matter, while the flowing` of the well is uninterrupted.

In case the well is being bored and the rope or cable to which the boring-tool is suspended passes through the orifice g', it is necessary to cut the rope or cable, so that the valve may be successfully operated. In order to accomplish this, and without unnecessary delay, I have v grooved one side of the orifice g', as at o, thus forming the cutting-edges 40' o at the top and bottom of the valve, which operate to cut the suspending rope or cable simultaneously with the shifting ofthe valve.

Y It will further be seen that my valve is so constructed that the iowing of the oil and gas is not at any time entirely stopped during the operation of the valve, for before the passage of the oil and gas into the tubingfis entirely cut off the recess h has commenced to register with the well-tubing a, and the side orifices h h have in like manner commenced to register with the side pipes, c c. This is accomplished, as will readily be seen, by making the distance between the orifice g and recess h less than the diameter of the well-tubin g. My object in this construction is to prevent the entire pressure of the oil and gas being exerted against the valve while it is being shifted, thus requiring less force to operate it.

6: My improved device, with slight and unimportant modifications, can be adapted to be placed'upon an oil-tank, so that in case the tank should take fire the oil could be readily and quickly drawn off without involving that injury to the tank which is now occasioned by what is familiarly known as shooting the tank.77 It could also be placed upon a hydrant or fire-plug with slight modications, so as to either divide the stream or utilize the entire pressure in one stream, as deemed desirable.

I do not wish to beunderstood as confining myself to the lexact form and proportions of xy improved apparatus, as herein shown, as the valve might be made of cylindrical or other shape without departing from the essence of my invention.

Instead of the cutting-edges o o', a separate knife could be secured in the valve at either or both of the points where the edges o o occur, and the side orifices g2 g2 might be omitted, without affecting the operation of the device.

The device is self-lubricating, as the crude oil owin g from the well will distribute itself between the working parts.

I claim- 1. A safety attachment for oil-wells, consisting substantially of a valve attached to the tubing of the well, and adapted to be operated in a suitable casing or box from a distance, the valve being provided with means not only for allowing a free passage therethrough of the flowing oil and gas while the valve is not in use, but also means for instantly diverting, in case of fire, the flow of oil and gas, and pre- IOO venting their contact with the surrounding flames, substantially as shown and described.

2. A safety attachment for oil-wells, consisting substantially of a valve attached to the tubing of the well at or near its mouth, and adapted to be operated in a suitable casing or box from a distance, the valve being provided with means not only for allowing a free passage therethrough of the flowing oil and gas while the valve is not in use, but also means for instantly diverting, in case of re, the flow of oil and gas, without at any time entirely stopping such flow, and also means for preventing contact of the oil and gas with the surrounding flames, substantially as shown and described.

3. In a safety attachment for oil-wells, the combination, with the well-tubing and a suitable casing or box, `of a valve having at one end thereof an orifice of substantially the diameter of the well-tubing and at the other end a recess closed at the top and provided with side orifices which are adapted to register with pipes leading from the casing or box, substantially as shown and described.

4. In a safety attachment for oil-wells, the combination, with the well-tubing and a suitable casing or box, of a valve having at one IIO orifices, both setsof side orifices being adapt-` edA at different times to register with pipes leading from the casing or box, in the manner shown and described, and for the purpose stated. j

5. In asafetyattachment for oil-wells, the combination, With the Well-tubing and a suitable casing or box, of a valve having at one end thereof an orifice of substantially the diameter of the Well-tubing and at the other end a recess closed at the top, and having on the inner top wall a Wedge-shaped projection, the recess being provided with side orifices which are adapted to register With pipes leading from the casing or box, substantially as shown and described.

6. In a safety attachment for oil-Wells, the valve g, provided with the orifice g', and the recess h, and vits side orifices h h', as and for the purpose-stated. v v v 7. In a safety attachment for oil-Wells, the valve g, provided with the orifice g" and its side orifices g2 g2, and the recess h, having the side orifices h hf, as and for the purposes stated.

8. In a safety attachment for oil-Wells, the valve g, provided With the orifice g', and the recess h, having the wedge-shaped projection k, and the side orifices h h', as and for the purpose stated.

v9. In a` safety attachment for oil-Wells, the valve g, provided With the orice g, With its side orifices g2 g2, and the recess 71 having the AWedge-shaped projection 7c, and the side orifices h h', as and for the purpose stated.

10. In a safety attachment for oil-wells, the casing or box b, having the anges d, the screw-threaded orifice b in .its bottom, the side pipes, c c, leading to its interior, and the air-holes m m, and the cover e, having the orifice e', substantially as shown and described.

l1. The combination of the casing or box, provided with orifices and pipes, as shown and described, with the valve g, provided with the orifice g' and its side orifices g2 gz the recess h, having the side orifices h h and wedgeshaped projection k, and the operatingrod l, secured to one end of the valve, and passing through the casing or box, substantially as shown and described, and for the purpose stated.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name Y tothis specification in the. presence of two sub-1 scribing Witnesses.

O'rro HoDnIcK, W. T. MILLER. 

